Fake Wings
by P. Ryusaki
Summary: This swordsman had a wordless creed, one that bounded him to nothing but self-developed principles. The same ideology that made him into a bitter wolf, with dreams of being able to fly. How could anyone open the eyes of a blind hypocrite? Yuri x ? -Harem-
1. Chapter 1: The Bigot Method

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Tales of Vesperia.

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**Rated: **M for adult situations, violence, language, and more.

**Summary: **Sacrifice was a word that Yuri Lowell never contributed to his mental dictionary. There was no such thing as sacrifice to him. Justice, what was right and what was wrong. Yet, even that was clouded, with the white and gray areas tugging on each other's ends. Only one thing mattered to him, and that was being able to shoulder enough burdens so that everyone could be happier, be it with knowledge or ignorance of his actions. However, the effects of the magical item which aided in the defeat of the Adephagos would soon test the depths of his mindset.

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**Chapter 1: The Bigot Method**

-

The City of Blossoms – Halure [5:49 PM]

Large amounts of cherry blossom petals floated around the lively city of Halure, with the setting sun's rays veiling it in a majestic light. Every corner held some sort of festivity that many individuals would take part in and enjoy with airborne laughter. There wasn't a soul around that had an unhappy expression or cloud of doom hanging over them. Quite possibly because the world had been saved…

Lounging on one of the highest branches of Halure's sacred tree sat Yuri, a man of many titles, to which he never truly acknowledged.

"…Looks like all is right with the world, eh Don?" His dark eyes scanned they sky above, as if waiting for a reply from someone. He shrugged his shoulders with indifference before settling into a more comfortable position against the tree. "It was worth a try."

The raven-haired man watched as crowds of people celebrated in the streets, rejoicing the defeat of the supposedly immortal Adephagos. It only took four or so days for word to get around that the invincible Empire had taken down the huge creature, with the main savior being the recently appointed commandant, the young and ever heroic Flynn Scifo. Today would officially be labeled as The Fall of the Adephagos. Only a small part of him felt jealous, but the guy deserved it.

"Not much for crowds, are you, Yuri Lowell?" A deep voice interrupted his thoughts from his right side.

He looked towards the source to see the familiar figure of Duke, an enigmatic being clothed in shades of red who always wore some type of frown. The same expression, standing posture, imposing vibe… Apparently, nothing had changed since their last battle a couple of weeks ago.

"Never thought I'd see you so soon, Duke. Didn't think you were much of a victory-festival type." Yuri made a half-smile as he continued observing the action down below.

"I'm not…"

It's like the guy knew how to kill a mood down to a science. "Then you're here to see little old me?"

"This world seems to be returning to normal. Except-"

"The monsters…" Yuri cut him off as he stared the silver-haired warrior down.

"You knew something they did not, is that correct?" Duke asked in his sagely voice.

"That item worked wonders against monsters, even killed the Adephagos in the process. Pretty amazing, right? There had to be a catch, some type of disadvantage to it…" His eyes wandered back down, landing on the members of Brave Vesperia. "They never questioned why I wanted to be the one to use it. So it was no problem." Estelle looked like she was having fun making Rita wear ridiculous masks. Even Judith joined in their antics…

"You are the person responsible for their frantic behavior, am I wrong?" Dukes piercing eyes bore into his skull, as if trying to pry the answers out with impatience.

"I guess you could say so. I mean, the monsters haven't really attacked any other place than where I've been in the past month. Two weeks after we defeated that…abomination…hordes of them attacked Zaphias. Flynn thought it was some sort of late reaction to the disappearance of blastia cores." He found Raven near the city entrance, trying to use his 'manly musk' to woo any female coming in. Karol and Repede were sitting nearby, probably betting on what kind of rejection the old man would receive.

"The monster attacks on Dahngrest and Nordopolica… You experimented by going to those cities…" Duke shook his head in annoyance.

"H-hey! Don't do that, I was able to hold them off after the knights ran away. Besides, I made sure there was a lot of protection around. One had the imperial knights and fighting fanatics while the other had guilds." Wasn't this guy supposed to be living in some kind of cave after their fight, away from humanity and brooding for hours on end about this world's fate?

"Maybe I overestimated your intelligence, Yuri Lowell…" The silver-haired man crossed his arms in a strict manner.

He didn't have much time left, better to get to the point than risk more lives. "What led you to me anyway?"

"Your life-energy…" Duke stated nonchalantly.

Yuri closed his eyes in aggravation. "Care to go more in-depth, professor?"

"Every existence exudes an aura, waves of distinct life-energy for every race; each one with a different intensity." Duke cast his red eyes onto the lax form lying on the branch next to him. "And yours is over-bearing, sinister and forceful in nature. For some reason, your life-energy covers a large radius, effectively causing even the calmest of monsters to become scared and vicious…"

"Well, I didn't have such a fancy explanation like that for myself when I was going around. But I figured it had something to do with me. Everywhere I go, I cause trouble without meaning to…" Maybe he was right. Ever since he left for the long journey from Zaphias a curse had been placed on him. Luck was never one of his best attributes…

"How do you plan to go about this, then? Are you going to stay in the protection of those other humans your whole life? Or is there a solution that even I have not considered?"

Well that was odd, was the enigma before him actually concerned for his well-being? "Man… I think the tables have turned. You're the one asking all the questions now." Yuri grinned at his own joke, hoping to soften the pain of his upcoming choices. Receiving no reaction from the stoic man next to him he continued, "I remember how nice and cozy that ancient Krityan city on top of Mt. Temza was, away from civilization, in the middle of nowhere… You could truly live peacefully without having to see anyone."

The silver-haired man turned away from him abruptly. "Humans are such a foolish race… Yet, I can't help but relate with you..."

The sun was nearly down, signaling the start of a cold night for Halure, and his leave. "I better wrap things up before I go. Don't worry. There won't be any kind of cataclysmic event anytime soon." Yuri jokingly patted the stiff man's shoulder before dropping gracefully to the ground below. "See you later, Duke." The raven-haired swordsman started towards the festivities in the middle of town.

"Yuri Lowell, forgetting his own words… Such a hypocrite…" Duke grinned as he vanished behind a swarm of cherry blossom petals.

-

Halure – Costume Stand [6:20 PM]

"That looks so cute on you!" Estelle's perky voice squealed as she took in the image of the embarrassed mage wearing a waitress outfit and matching beret.

"How exactly did you drag me into this…?" Rita sighed in exasperation.

"You lost at that game of dice; it was the only way to get you to do this!" The cheerful healer responded while handing her another accessory to try on.

"B-bunny ears?! I'm not going to wear this!" the mahogany-haired girl cried in detest.

"Yeah, you shouldn't. I prefer the cat ears, myself." The familiar voice of a male made itself present from above them.

"Yu-Yuri! Don't surprise us like that." The pink-haired girl took a deep breath of relief as he jumped down from the grassy ledge next to the blushing teen.

"Hey, Estelle. Could you give me a minute alone with the genius mage?" It was more of an indirect command than a question.

Estelle hesitatingly glanced between the two before nodding in reply. "Sure." She strolled over to where Karol and Repede were drooling over some food.

"Did you come to make fun of how I look? Or did you actually have something important to ask me?" Rita asked with her eyes closed, concentrating on trying to keep her face from becoming even redder.

"It's not every day that I get see you this flustered, I kind of enjoy it. Makes you cuter than usual." Yuri's husky tone sounded from in front of her face, causing her to open her eyes and fall back in surprise from his close proximity. "Hmm… Black lace, very nice." She quickly stood up and blocked her lower regions from view with a large shirt from the table next to her.

"I'd expect this from that perverted old man, but not an idiot like you. You're lucky I haven't perfected my formulas yet, or you'd be burnt to a crisp right at this moment!" Rita glared at the raven-haired swordsman in front of her, noting how he didn't look threatened at all.

"I'm just in a good mood. But seriously…" His expression turned hard, he meant business now. It reminded her of the time he warned her about hurting Estelle. "Would you hold onto this for me?" He threw a large item towards her head, which she caught with expert timing.

"…What's this?" Rita stared at the item with obvious interest. It looked like…

"It's a 'new' bodhi blastia. One I synthesized before we went into the Tower of Tarqaron. I was meaning to give it to you, but forgot about it once we got inside." Yuri scratched his cheek as he looked at the people walking around them.

"All right… So why are you handing me something that would be completely useless now?" Rita asked with narrowed eyes. He was acting pretty odd…

"Well, I wanted you to analyze it for me before, but now.... It's just…I don't really have anywhere to put that. My place over in the lower quarter is still under renovation. And you're the only one that seems to take good care of blastia related items, so…" The raven-haired man smiled in a pleading like fashion.

"That's it? Hmph! Here I thought you had some kind of revolutionary idea ready to give me and all you want is for me to take care of this?" The idiot was starting to get under her skin to the point where she couldn't resist his requests. "Fine." She drew out her characteristic sigh.

"Heh! Thanks, I appreciate it. No one else better to trust your stuff with than the famed Rita Mordio!" Before the young girl knew it Yuri had disappeared into the crowd.

"…Idiot…"

-

Halure – Sukiyaki Stand [6:34 PM]

"Egh... I might as well eat Repede's cooking." Karol stated in disgust as he swallowed the last bit of food from his plate.

Repede bit Karol's arm in response.

"Ow! R-Repede, I wasn't being serious." He rubbed it softly, wincing a bit before noticing he didn't feel the pain anymore. Two small hands were hovering above his faded wound. "Wow, thanks! How'd you do that, Estelle?"

The princess clasped her hands together and did a slight bow. "Rita taught me how to do certain magic using the Spirit's energy. I'm still trying to get the hang of it though…"

"Don't overdo it, Estelle. You may be talented, but everyone has their limits." Yuri's presence filled the empty void she was feeling from before.

"Yuri, stop coming out from behind me all the time!" she playfully punched him in the face with her cheeks puffed out.

The swordsman replied with a chuckle. "So, how goes it Captain Karol? Enjoying Brave Vesperia's official holiday?"

"Sheesh! If only that were true. The real heroes never get acknowledged for their deeds…" The small boy scuffed the ground with his shoe, watching as it kicked up a lone cherry blossom. Estelle bowed her head in gloom.

"Hey now, wasn't it you who said doing the right thing is all that matters? Don't forget Brave Vesperia's creed, you're the one who made it, y'know." Yuri said in feigned shock. Repede barked in agreement.

"…You're right. We'll make our mark some other way, right Yuri?" Karol looked up at him with evident hope.

"Hah! Of course! Oh yeah…" All three members watched as their raven-haired friend fished around a sack they hadn't seen him carrying. "Think of these as congratulatory gifts, for a successful mission well done." He threw the first one at Karol, placed one in front of Repede on the ground, and handed the last one to Estelle.

"This is…a badge?" Karol took in every small detail.

"Yeah, when I was helping the lower quarter rebuild I talked to that bag of bones, Hanks, about our guild. He chattered on the whole day about how guilds should have a uniform classification system, like badges." Yuri shrugged his shoulders. "When Raven passed by hearing that he became all ecstatic and even made some drawings with ideas. Looks pretty good, doesn't it?"

"Yeah!" the small boy pumped his arm in the air. "This will definitely separate us from the rest of them. I'll have to make copies for the others, thanks Yuri!"

"Anything for the guild, Captain." Yuri looked down at his long time companion with a smug expression. "I didn't think it would make you look that awesome, Repede." The dog barked as he did a somersault in the air, sporting a long red scarf in place of his past rope-chain.

The raven-haired man was caught by surprise when he was engulfed by a strong hug. "Whoa! Easy princess, I didn't get you anything that special…" He rubbed her back in a circular motion when he felt moisture dampen his shirt. Karol and Repede quietly left, with the boy giving him an exuberant thumb up.

"…Thank you so much…Yuri…" The pink-haired girl continued sobbing for a few minutes before letting go and rubbing her eyes like a child.

"Glad you liked it. Just don't let Flynn know I took it…or that you have it, for that matter. That is the right one, isn't it?" He implored with caution.

"Yes… I don't know why, but it was taken away from me when I was very young. It was my mother's. Was it hard to find?" Estelle asked in concern.

"I think you're forgetting who I am, Estelle. The notorious criminal, master thief, glorious chef and unbelievably handsome swordsman: Yuri Lowell!" The raven-haired man emphasized his point by striking what he assumed was a 'manly pose'. He smiled as he heard Estelle's infectious laughter.

-

Halure – Entrance Area [6:51 PM]

"Dammit… I don't have much time left. I've made my peace with the old man, but…" Yuri hurriedly made his way past the groups of people blocking his way to the exit of the city. "I can't wait. If I don't leave now I'll be endangering all of them..." He whispered to himself harshly.

As if on cue he saw Judith walking through the entrance. "Judy!" He yelled over the noise around him while pushing to his destination.

"Hm? What's up, Yuri? I was just talking to Bauul about you." The Krityan's sultry voice never ceased to amaze him. There was only a certain amount of teasing a guy could take…

"Don't get a man's hope up only to bring it down hard, Judy." The voluptuous woman oddly responded with a serious look of hurt. He didn't have time to think about it, time wasn't going to slow down for a criminal. However, he couldn't come off as someone in a hurry. "Mind looking after Repede while I'm gone? He's getting pretty lonely up there, and I feel like taking a walk…alone…"

"Why me? I'm sure Karol or Estelle wouldn't mind." Judith commented with suspicion.

"I thought you could tell by now, Repede likes you the most." Yuri said in a matter-of-factly style. As he was about to walk away he turned around suddenly. "It's horrible to feel regret, isn't it?"

Judith raised an eyebrow. "Of course it is. That's why you should do what you want no matter the consequences. Or…that's what I believe in, at least." She straightened her posture and crossed her arms beneath her chest. "Why do you-"

Yuri immediately closed the distance between them, planting his lips forcefully on her delicate pair. Finding no retaliation he deepened it and parted a path so he could slip his tongue inside. Using his left hand, which wasn't occupied with holding The Last Fencer, he trailed it down the small of the Krityan's back and groped one of her cheeks over the thin cloth.

After two minutes passed he disengaged himself and licked a trickle of Judith's saliva that was on his bottom lip. "Well, guess I can safely mark off one of my life goals; being able to kiss the most beautiful woman in the world." He did his characteristic smug smile and began walking towards the field outside.

Judith barely realized she was in a trance when she saw the back of the man, who had claimed her lips a few moments ago, leaving. She could feel an abnormal heat building up in her body. It wasn't common for her to be taken by surprise, so she was still trying to register what happened. She had no idea what she was supposed to do next.

Her mouth moved on impulse. "How long are you going to be gone, Yuri?" She saw him stop in the distance before waving a hand in the air.

"However long it takes me to clear my head!" the raven-haired swordsman shouted his roundabout answer. Not waiting to be asked anything else he took off at a decent walking speed to escape the city boundaries.

The young Krityan woman stood there, looking towards the night sky in a daze. "That was my first kiss…"

-

Ehmead Hill – [8:29 PM]

"That's it, that's it!" Yuri withdrew his sword from the eye socket of one boar-like monster who had charged at him relentlessly. He was right about the time that they usually attacked. No matter where it was, early evening was when they'd attack him.

The raven-haired man dodged to the right as several wolves bit at him. Using the momentum from his back-step, he executed a spiral slash to give himself space from his rabid enemies, two of which made contact with his sword.

"If I can't handle you guys, then I'm pretty much done for once I reach Relewiese Hollow." He held his side as a wave of pain emanated throughout his body. A sprained right wrist, several gashes to the torso, and even a bruised knee… Things weren't looking too good. He watched the drooling pack in front of him with hatred. "You guys are damn lucky that you were able to a launch a preemptive strike…"

Counting inside his head, he noticed that there were twenty-three more monsters to kill before he could make a safe escape to the Fiertia, which was only a few more miles out, hidden on the shore. "I'm about to show you bastards how 'survival of the fittest' works!" With a burst of adrenaline, he sprinted forward, sword poised in the air for an overpowered down slash.

"Azure…Blast!" Yuri shifted the sword in mid-swing so he could hold it like a dagger, continuing to bring his fist into the closest enemy's cranium. By luck, he made a sickening impact on one wolf, who then collided into a colossal monster behind it. A Gattuso. "My luck is…shit…"

At first, he planned to pick off the weakest links before going for the main one, until another level of Hell broke loose. The Gattuso was no longer interested in his meat, it was enraged, probably believing its allies were foes.

"This is my chance!" The raven-haired swordsman called forth the last bit of energy he had into his legs, running as fast as he could from the wild brawl ensuing. It wasn't long before the edge of the Fiertia came into view. Hearing no cries or horrific roars behind him, he slowed down, feeling the fatigue from his recent fight flooding his system once again.

"Damn… Everything is much easier when you have a team involved…" The young man knelt down from exhaustion. "Maybe I should have-"

"Dropped dead?" A feminine voice interrupted him.

"Huh?" Yuri's attempt to look up was foiled when a well-placed kick to the head knocked him unconscious.

"…So, what are we going to do with him?" A second person, with a more high-pitched tone, asked.

"I want to know why… Why did Yeager choose him? What makes this murderer so special?" She pondered with deep malice lacing her words.

"Killing him would be so fun though…" The other voice whined playfully. "Could I play with him while we're sailing?"

"Go ahead, but don't be too evil. We don't want to scar him before we even get to our destination."

"Spoil-sport…"

The clouded night sky cloaked the two assailants in a secure, dark visage; both of them carrying their newfound prisoner towards the Fiertia in silence.

-

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**Author's Note: **Yes, a very short chapter compared to my other ones. It may be a side-effect from the current happenings of my personal life, or the dreaded writer's block setting up a nice little fort in my mind. Either way, both have been due for some time. In case you're not a reader of my other titles I'll warn you right now, my word choice sucks almost as much as my grammar. But I still attempt to make these so plot bunnies don't infest my mind. Also, I've just completed the game recently. Some of the concepts and mechanics of the Tales of Vesperia world are still being filtered, which takes quite a long time…

You may be asking, "Why so out of character?" Simply because… I can't write too in-character, but don't think I'm going to try and make them my own. Writing them in certain ways and adding major personality quirks just makes the story more interesting to me, even if others will most likely hate me for it in the process (-_-). I'm not that good with psychology, after all… Yeah, Yuri's going to be more of a pervert in this story, though not an overboard type. The events in Halure were more of a, "It was great knowing you, I wish I could have spent more time with you" kind of thing. A sentimental goodbye because he was planning to live and die as a hermit, thinking that finding a solution would be too troublesome and impossible, or rather he didn't want to bother the others after peace had just resurfaced. The two females at the end should be obvious, as well as the parts they'll play in this fanfic.

Most likely, I'm going to tweak around with this chapter a bit, especially when all these ideas become more of a solid foundation to build on top of. So, in that sense, I guess you could think of this as a roughdraft! I plan to do re-edit most of the content in here, especially since my skills aren't up to par. If you're one of the very few who will read the next chapter of this, or any other story I update in the future, thanks for tolerating any annoyances you may find in my work, and review if possible!


	2. Chapter 2: Area of Effect

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Tales of Vesperia.

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**Chapter 2: Area of Effect**

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Ehmead Hill – Base of Capua Nor Route [6:17 AM]

Liquid sunshine pelted the land heavily, cleansing the ground of dark blood that extended the entire length of Ehmead Hill's scenic road. A sickening amount of monster bodies were piled in organized stacks to the side, awaiting the attention of material traders and the Imperial clean-up services.

"What the hell happened here…? Think it was some psycho from the Hunting Blades guild?" a gruff voice asked, sounding tired from Halure's late-night festivities. He pulled his ineffective wool cloak tighter around himself as a cold breeze caught him in the face. "Of all the times to have this weather!"

A young knight wearing a set of prestigious Imperial armor, acquired from his recent promotion, knelt down to inspect the wounds on the various carcasses. His blonde hair was matted down by the moisture, though he didn't seem to care. "I have a feeling that this brutal attack isn't the result of a guild related person or action. Some of these bodies have huge bite marks along their necks, while others suffered the sharp blade of a sword. To my knowledge, the Hunting Blades aren't the type to work alone, and they usually strip their prey of anything that can be used as a resource or bartered…"

Raven scratched his stubble characteristically, allowing one aged eye to stare at his superior. "Does Mister Commandant prefer to reason with feelings and theories, or with what the Empire favors? After all, you're not the kind of person who can simply ignore an easy target when it's down. That's Yuri's style." He smiled mischievously.

"What are you getting at, Captain?" Flynn stood up and faced the war veteran.

"I'm saying, either you find a way to place blame on someone non-guild related, create some nifty plot to sate the public's speculative appetites, or get ready for some ugly politics. The majority of the Council still holds grudges on the guild community of Dahngrest for various reasons." Raven rubbed his arms together furiously to get warmer. "If they can find an opportunity like this, where a guild can be held liable for trespassing and hunting on empire territory without clearance or legal authorization, we'll have another tense-filled period of good ole' Empire versus Guild."

Deafening thunder bellowed from the heavens, startling many of the surrounding knights.

"Both sides are weak right now, recuperating from heavy losses and economic rebuilding. But, knowing our current Council member staff, they wouldn't bat an eye at sweeping a few 'past' incident reports under the rug for a future opportune moment," Raven finished his thoughts, watching as an additional batch of creatures were thrown into the heap nearest them.

The blond-haired man flexed his right hand unconsciously. It was one more of those situations where his sword couldn't solve the problem. "I see…" His crystal blue eyes settled on a puddle that had been developing underneath his armored figure. "We'll discuss matters later this afternoon, when we're back at Halure. There tends to be eavesdroppers at times like these."

Raven nodded affirmatively, grinning at Flynn's predictable behavior.

"Commandant Flynn! A weapon was found stuck in the sand, near the end of the gory trail starting from here. It was surrounded by human blood, too. We assume the owner was either killed and dragged off by the monsters, or escaped before we could arrive," exclaimed a knight from Raven's brigade, who clumsily ran up to them and handed over a unique and familiar sword.

"This is…!" Flynn stepped back in surprise.

"The Last Fencer. Yuri's blade," the older man stated without any indication of shock. He cast a grim look over to the blond-haired knight. "He's the vice president of Brave Vesperia, y'know?"

Flynn clasped his hand firmly around the worn hilt. "Take over for me, Captain Schwann. I've got some investigating to do before I file an official report. Update me on any further changes or findings. I'll be in Halure."

"Of course, Commandant," Raven replied with a slight emphasis on the last word. He saluted Flynn loosely as the young man took off on his steed towards the cherry blossom capital.

-

Halure – Denebola Inn [7:40 AM]

The room was deadly silent, despite there being five separate bodies occupying its space.

Karol was sleeping peacefully on the ground, using a calmly inactive Repede as his pillow. Rita was sitting upright against her temporary bed stand, shuffling through her spell book's pages with morbid interest. Not too far away, Estelle was resting her body on a plush couch, anxiously glancing every now and then at the oaken door. Neighboring her position, sitting on the windowsill and observing the weather solemnly, was Judith, the only member to have not spoken since entering the room.

They were all waiting for the same person, Yuri Lowell.

Having regrouped after the celebration died down a bit, they had eventually discussed the raven-haired swordsman's unexpected generosity and overall odd behavior. Each of them received an item of particular value, except the Krityan woman, who looked as if she did but wouldn't elaborate. It was then that Estelle stated that it must have been Yuri's own way of opening up and thanking them for being his friends, which sounded completely out of character, but the only likely reason they could mutually agree on. So, they bought a cake to surprise him with later that night to commemorate Brave Vesperia's victory while also thanking him for the gifts.

However, countless hours later, their self-proclaimed leader had yet to show. And for some unknown reason, the three females of the party were still up, twiddling away the minutes without voicing their lack of sleep or purpose for not catching a few hours of shuteye instead.

Rita paused in her page turning and examined the comfortable guard attached to her left arm. Her fingertips traced the smooth surface of the dim red blastia stuck in the center of its intricate metal work. The item fit perfectly, for a good reason, too…

_Happy birthday, genius mage!_

_Pretty late, I know. When we were searching the remains of your place before the big battle against prissy Duke, I was able to find a childish calendar. Figures it was decked out with cats. Seems you ignored telling everyone your birthday, which was two weeks prior. So, when we stopped off at Nordopolica for supplies I got one of my good buddies to smith a new bodhi blastia with a unique design as a present. But, I totally forgot to give it to you because we were attacked by those Adephagos. Then more shit happened… _

_Now don't get all pissed off at me, thinking I'm treating you like a child or something, because I'm not. I appreciate how you've tolerated me for so long and stuck with the group, even if it was mostly for Estelle's sake. Whenever I saw you flare up and get all determined about those stupid blastia or whatever, it sort of made me motivated to try harder, as strange as that sounds. Eh, getting off subject. I just want you to know that, other than the princess, I'll be there when you need me. Now go use this thing to make some alchemist soup, wreak havoc, or slap Karol over the head, repeatedly. Either way, I'll definitely enjoy the outcome. _

_PS: If you're up for it, let's travel together again sometime. I'm always ready for a good adventure._

_-Yuri Lowell (Brave Vesperia's Handsome Chef)_

The young brunette's tired eyes read the small piece of paper on her lap for the twentieth time. Her face was an ever changing portrait of emotions. It would shift from a joyful expression to a depressing frown in a matter of seconds. She was ecstatic due to the importance of the gift, the heartfelt message, and the fact that it came from the nefarious swordsman she harbored secretive feelings for, which developed shortly after their Aqua Blastia incident. She had to remind herself that her adoptive sister held affections for the same man…

"Rita, do you think Yuri hates me?" the pink-haired noblewoman asked out of nowhere, breaking the silence that had enveloped them for hours. She was staring at the ceiling with shadow bagged eyes.

Rita quickly shoved the birthday note where she had found it, nestled between the pages of her spell book like a bookmark. Trying to recover from her thoughts, she replied in delay. "What makes you think that, Estelle? I mean, this is Yuri we're talking about."

Judith glanced at the concerned princess; the random question caught her attention.

Estelle sat up and looked over to make sure Karol and Repede were still asleep. Satisfied, she then turned to talk to both of her close friends, hoping to receive advice on her predicament. "Promise you won't tell anyone, please!" she pleaded.

Rita and Judith exchanged confused expressions, but nodded anyway.

"Go ahead, what's on your mind?" the Krityan woman urged in a motherly fashion. Though her sharp eyes indicated she was more interested about the other person mentioned.

Estelle nodded to herself, feeling more confident. "Two days ago, when Yuri came to escort me to Halure for the celebration, he…" Her face became beet red, and her lips quivered.

"Come on, Estelle, you can tell us." Rita said.

"Yuri confessed to me!" she blurted out louder than intended.

The room became quiet once more. Repede and Karol's abrasive snoring were the only source of life.

Judith was the first to break out of shocked stupor. "S-so how did he do it?" Her voice was a bit shaky. Didn't he kiss her last night, or was it all a dream? She did have feelings for the semi-introverted man, but she didn't know they were strong enough to cause such an elaborate illusion.

The color of Estelle's face became even more radiant, recalling his abrupt appearance and actions that evening. "He surprised me by climbing up my balcony while I was getting ready to leave the castle. I was going to yell for the guards, thinking he was a thief, but he quickly grabbed my shoulders and covered my mouth with his." She gingerly touched her lips, her eyes becoming glazed. "He then hugged me close, and gently whispered that he loved me into my ear…"

Rita bit her lower lip. She envied her sister, greatly, and tried visualizing herself in that situation to sugarcoat her bitter feelings. "…and?"

"Huh?" Estelle looked up, as if she hadn't said anything in the past two minutes.

"How did you respond?" Judith asked with an edge to her voice.

That's when the pink-haired woman slumped into the couch unceremoniously. "…I pushed him away and told him to leave," she responded gloomily.

"Huh?!" the mage and Krityan exclaimed loudly.

Estelle pitifully tried to cover her face, feeling tears threatening to burst forth. "I didn't know how to react! I just…I needed more time to understand my feelings. But now, I'm scared it's too late. Ever since then, he's been acting like nothing happened."

Judith cast a livid glare. "What's holding you back from taking the initiative and asking him upfront?"

"I thought about it, and I can't ignore that I'm still a princess. I've got to consider my position within the Empire to protect its people. If I were to become involved with an individual not within the upper class-," her dull statement was interrupted by the enraged blue-haired beauty.

"You would be failing them by not loving someone of royal blood or status? Estelle, you've done more good without the Empire's help than with it, which of course they provided little of when you and the people you cared about really needed it. In fact, it's you who's avoiding Yuri and hurting him in the process, especially with such a horrible excuse," Judith angrily spat as she stood to stare the young woman straight in the eyes. "You're a selfish princess!"

"No, I never intended for…I love him!" Estelle flinched at Judith's icy glare.

Rita audibly gulped, not use to seeing an irate Judith or timid Estelle. She agreed with the Krityan woman to a degree, but was scared that a spear would find its way into her sister's neck if she didn't intervene now.

A loud rapping on the oaken door resounded throughout the tension-filled room.

"Gaaawwww!" Karol stretched his arms high into the air before lazily looking around. "Is Yuri back yet?" He wiped the drool off the corner of his mouth. Repede followed suit, and promptly bit the small boy for drenching his leg in saliva. "Agh! Chew on your pipe, not my leg!"

The knocking returned with intensity.

Outside, Flynn's patience was running thin. "Please, I need to speak to Yuri!" he shouted, not caring if he woke up the other temporary residents in the building.

"Yo, Flynn!" Karol greeted the young commandant in his puerile voice as he opened the door.

The blond-haired man nodded to him and shuffled in, closing the door hastily. He scanned the room for any sign of his childhood friend and rival. Nothing. "Your highness, Brave Vesperia, would you kindly tell me where Yuri is? There is an urgent matter that demands his audience. I've got something that belongs to him, and I require answers."

Receiving no response he threw the Last Fencer onto the table near him, not bothering to be formal. The sword's weight dented the hardened surface as it made a harsh thud. Their reactions to the blood stained sword were supplemental enough for his deductions. Flynn clenched his teeth. 'Yuri, what have you gotten yourself into this time?'

-

Caer Bocram – Abandoned House [6:43 PM]

Storm-grey eyes opened halfway, heavy from deep sleep. "Where the hell am I?" Yuri tried to sit up, but found an unexpected weight on his body. He didn't notice the mop of viridian-hair covering his bare chest. Come to think of it… "Why am I naked?!" he yelled in confusion.

"Uwah…you're so loud, Mister Lowell," the young girl said as she stretched, straddling his hips comfortably as she did so. She wiggled and proceeded to smirk at his reaction. "Your clothes were drenched in sweat, silly! How am I supposed to sleep on you when you're wet?"

Yuri stared at the girl in annoyance. "Droite, what's going on?"

A set of footsteps came from behind him, signaling a person coming down a flight of stairs. Within a few seconds, he knew who it was.

"Dr-Droite! What are you doing?! You're supposed to be guarding Yuri, not…" Gauche paused, not even knowing what her sister was thinking. But seeing the man in nothing but his boxers caused her to blush hard and lose her train of thought.

"I was 'body' guarding him, Gauche. Sheesh!" Droite explained innocently. She squeaked in surprise when the man underneath her threw her over his shoulder and marched towards the startled redhead.

"Clothes first, explanation later," Yuri demanded.

Gauche nodded shyly, her eyes widening while trying to avoid looking at the swordsman's lithe build and other attractive features.

Twenty minutes later, Yuri was dressed in a spare outfit he had safely stashed on the Fiertia for his trip. Though, it seemed a rather large wrench was thrown into those plans, such as not being on his ship or having all the supplies on it.

The raven-haired man leaned onto the rotting wall of the building. He knew where they were, in one of the vacant houses located in the ruins of Caer Bocram. On his previous journey, he had spent hours searching the decaying structures for clues. He was pissed.

"Alright, now here's the deal. I was on my merry way to a place far away from here. And now I'll present the problem, I'm nowhere close to it because of you two. So, why the hell did you knock me out, steal my boat, and drag me to this shitty place fit for people who want to die of mold disease?" He asked the Yeager twins sitting on a bed across from him. Droite looked somewhat scared of his tone, while Gauche simply glared daggers at him.

"The kick to your head was revenge for what you did to us in front of all those people at Nordopolica's coliseum!" Gauche stated vehemently.

Yuri grinned, remembering the last solo beating he gave the two. To send the message that he was tired of their constant confrontations and interferences in his friends' lives, he even went as far to humiliate them by cutting their tops off during battle. However, he did throw them his spar cape accessories to cover themselves with afterward. "Understandable…still doesn't explain why you kidnapped me here."

Droite decided to chime in finally. "We're evaluating you, Mister Lowell! You see, Master Yeager wanted you in charge of taking care of us, as our life companion and guild hall leader. It was in his will!" She pointed an accusing finger at him. "Also, you should be thanking us for carrying you this far. I can't believe you slept for so long, I didn't get a chance to play with you on the boat."

"…" Yuri stared at them, looking for any sign of the statement being a joke. "You've got to be kidding me."

"We're not going to allow you to easily have us, though. We know you're strong enough to protect us, but can you make us feel happy, safe, and loved at the same time? Because Master Yeager believed you to be the right man, we're giving you the benefit of the doubt. You've got to prove to us that you deserve our loyalty, as a lover and guild master." Gauche explained, her face slightly tinted in embarrassment from the implications.

Yuri pinched the bridge of his nose. Was he being pushed into these ridiculous events by some sadistic god or goddess, capable of manipulating his life at every turn? "Okay, when did I agree to this little quest of yours? You guys should be rebuilding the guild he left behind in death. A foundation can't stay together if it's got nothing to support it."

Gauche clasped her hands together, her expression displaying the sorrow and anger he saw when they first challenged him after Yeager died. "The weather was too dangerous to advance towards Heliord, so we had to stop here to rest. We were tired from the boat ride and pulling your unconscious body with us. Our original destination is the manor, the headquarters of Leviathin's Claw." She then looked up at him, signs of moisture bordering her rose-red eyes. "Droite and I are too young to take over the guild, as the official rules state. You're the only one Master Yeager acknowledged in strength and character, so we need you…"

Droite patted her sister's back consolingly and surprisingly became serious. "Master Yeager's dying wishes and his legacy will not be in vain. We want to see why he favored you. We want to know what made you so special that our he chose you to protect us and take over our guild. Please, journey with us so we can do this."

He would think the girls were bipolar, if it wasn't for their subject of conversation. A guild disbanding because the loss of their leader was a huge thing, especially when there was a familial connection at stake. Karol's face flashed in his mind for a quick second.

Yuri crossed his arms in a stern fashion. "Well, you guys sure started this proposition positive enough. With the whole 'knock out your prospective guild master' act. But as you saw before, I've got my own troubles, and involving you two would only put you in unneeded danger." He pushed off the wall he was leaning on and walked closer to them.

"I'm no leader, nor am I someone others can look up to or depend on for safety. Anyway you cut it, I'm just a criminal doing dirty work so that other people can keep living peaceful lives. As of recently, I've also become a monster beacon." Yuri's long bangs obscured his eyes from view, but his bitter smile was visible. "I don't know what to tell you, sorry." As he was about to leave a crashing sound came from upstairs, followed by a series of roars and wails. He forgot that evenings came faster in some places than others, and the weather outside didn't help him determine what time of the day it was either.

The raven-haired swordsman frantically looked at the two sulking girls who were shocked from the noise and dragged them outside the house cautiously. Traversing down the building would take those monsters time, all he had to worry about were the stragglers outside. "Where's my sword?"

"I forgot to pick it up when I kicked you on Capua Torim's shore." Gauche replied in a hushed voice. Her hand was wavering over her own weapon.

Yuri clenched his fists. He didn't plan on needing another one, all he brought on the Fiertia were the pair of clothes and armor he had on at the moment. "All right Yeager twins, both of you need to run to Heliord as fast as you can. This place is going to become one hell of a party soon."

"We can take care of a few monsters by ourselves, it's no biggie!" Droite piped in confidently.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I was a monster beacon; take my advice and get out of here before we all get attacked. I can hold them off."He flexed his wrist skillfully. At least he had his Garm Fang gauntlet, which could do some serious damage if used like a claw attachment.

"No, I'm not letting our potential guild master fight these things by himself. Whether you like it or not, I'm staying with you till I'm sure you aren't right for the position," Gauche replied haughtily, pressing Yuri's chest with a firm hand.

Droite pushed the redhead out of the way and hugged the irritated swordsman, making him drop his defensive demeanor in surprise. "Me too, Mister Lowell! I've taken a liking to you already, unlike Gauche who's had a crush on you for awhile!" She giggled childishly and stuck her tongue out at her angry sister.

"God dammit…" Yuri closed his eyes in frustration. He would have to lose them by tomorrow, if he survived tonight. For now, he had to concentrate on protecting his 'captors' from the growing number of monsters trying to find him. That's when an idea hit; the basement where he had fought the gigantic monster and met the Hunting Blades on a more personal level. "Come on!"

Droite squealed in delight as Yuri once again picked her up onto his shoulders, telling her to hang on. He then scooped Gauche bridal style, making her beet red, and sped to the room seen in his memories. Hopefully, the ceiling was still intact and the metal door operational.

Several minutes later he skidded to a stop and gently laid the twins down.

"Shit!" Yuri cursed as he looked at the busted control panel and door. It was slightly open, probably enough for the two girls to slide through. Luckily, the interior behind it was intact and secure from invasion as well. However, he wouldn't be able to fit through the entrance. "Alright, let's go!" he ushered them.

Droite complied and slid in perfectly. But Gauche stood next to him, giving him an accusing glare.

"What's the hold up, Twin A? Get in, I'll be right behind you!" Yuri shouted impatiently. Time was running out, he could hear the smaller monsters scampering down the spiral staircase already.

"Yuri, are you an idiot? Look at this space, you can't-," Gauche slipped into unconsciousness from a well placed punch to the stomach.

"Change for your payback…" Yuri smirked. "Mind lending a hand, Droite?"

"S-sure!" The viridian-haired girl replied, helping him get her sister to their safe spot. As soon as Gauche was in her arms the metal door began closing. "Wait! What are you doing?!"

An unexpected chuckle came from the young man as he struggled to push. "When you think it is all clear outside, make sure to run away from this place as soon as possible. To the far left of you is a ladder leading to an exit hatch on the ceiling. Use it and don't come back."

"Yuri!" Droite pitifully attempted to pull the slab the opposite way.

"Don't let Yeager down, find a way to keep that legacy of his alive," he softly told her. A loud 'thunk' bounced off the walls as he fully closed the entry. During his efforts a crowd of lesser monsters had gathered, eagerly watching him with hungry eyes, anticipating his movement rather than characteristically rushing him.

Yuri readjusted the metal boots and gauntlets of his True Knight attire. "I wanted to pay my respects to the Entelexia at Mt. Temza before I died, but it seems that little mission will be cut off short, huh?"

The group of Howlers, Strange Bats, and Spikkits slowly advanced.

"That's okay. I'm not very social either, when it comes to a good meal," he joked. His muscles tensed, eyes narrowed, and stance changed. "Never been much for fisticuffs, but if it's against you guys, I think I'll be fine." Not wasting a breath, he swiftly appeared in front of the first enemy, a needle backed creampuff, and executed a sharp elbow thrust to its forehead and backhand slashed it in the face, with two other nearby monsters receiving gashes as well.

Yuri leaped up into the air, ready to unleash his own level of hell in the small confined space of the basement. If he was going to die, he'd make sure he was worth over a hundred lives.

"Bring it!"

-

Capua Nor – Docks [9:10 PM]

The sea-scented wind blew Raven's unkempt hair in different directions. He took a sip of alcohol from the gourd he carried on his person religiously, enjoying the night calm and soothing waves. Nothing beat drinking on a bench listening to Mother Nature's ocean clatter. Well, other than sleeping with a nice, supple young woman, but he already failed six times trying to woo some earlier. That was life.

"He disappeared."

Raven cocked his head to the side in annoyance. "Remember what I said about us old people an' hide-n-seek? We mix like oil and water, I hate it."

"Yuri Lowell, he isn't aware of what's in him." Duke stated nonchalantly, ignoring him as usual.

"Okay, okay, I'm listening." Raven straightened his posture. "That research of yours took longer than I expected. Learn anything interesting from the elder Krityan, did 'a?" he asked.

The silver-haired man sighed. "I went over the scenarios with him, and we both came to a similar, logical conclusion after hours of discussion. The Adephagos is still alive."

Raven nearly dropped his alcohol container when he heard the last part. "How is that possible?! We totally annihilated it!"

Duke shook his head. "When Yuri used that item, Vesperia No.1, he didn't fully realize what it was doing to the atmosphere around him. He had an idea of the danger it put him in, but no true understanding. During the process of destruction and elimination of blastia, the aer from all over the world clumped in his vicinity. In consequence, he should have died from aer pollution."

The aged man rubbed his stubble. "So then, how did he survive?" Images of their battle atop the ethereal spire, looking at the descending Adephagos with apprehensive eyes filled his mind.

"The Adephagos have the ability to contaminate the aer and infuse themselves into beings within its vicinity, though they prefer not to due to the incapability of taking its true form. When the aer from all the combined blastia energy and world atmosphere discharged, killing Terca Lumieres' main threat, a small amount of its existence was absorbed into the only person within the aer environment, giving that individual the ability to survive the contamination due to how the Adephagos feed on it," the silver-haired enigma explained.

"If I got this right, you're saying…"

Duke walked to the edge of the concrete ground and observed the turbulent waves below him. They were a perfect reflection of the ripples of change caused by one man's blind righteousness to protect others around him. "Yuri Lowell became the host body of a remnant of the Adephagos' existence. It is trying to adept to the new environment from within his body to resurface and carry out its intended biological goal. Because of its hostile nature, an unusually aggressive aura permeates from his body, disturbing monsters in its field of influence and causing them to attack him when it's at its peak of pressure, which has been the nighttime according to most of his cases."

Raven sat silent for a few minutes. "In other words, since it might still be adjusting, you'll have to slay its host as soon as possible to avoid it developing advantages or manifesting…" He thought those times of feeling hopeless were behind him, but here they were again. "You'll have to kill him using the restored power of Dein Nomos, correct?"

The silver-haired man didn't blink, even when a spray of salt water hit his eyes directly. "Yes."

-

* * *

**Author's Note: **I sincerely apologize for halting the story for reasons that many brought to my notice as null. I know, it's been a LONG while since I last updated. It took me even longer because my HardDrive with all the chapters written (I had 3 chapter after the 1st outlined) were totally wiped off, along with the chapters for my other stories (Broken Phantasm ;_;). I appreciate all the reviews you guys gave me, and the private messages/e-mails I received to continue on with the story. However, I bet many have abandoned or lost hope with it, so you probably won't be reading this.

The personalities in this chapter really felt 'modified', in my opinion. But the reactions will be explained later. In a nutshell, Raven/Duke are the omniscent figures trying to uphold balance, Flynn is appropriately concerned about Yuri and conflicted with his duties, Rita is fawning over a forbidden relationship, Judith is confused from Yuri's kiss and jealous of Estelle, Estelle is scared of losing Yuri's affection but aslo wants to continue protecting people within the Empire's service, Gauche/Droite are wary of Yuri but slightly trust him (they were being their 'playful' selves at the end of the 1st chapter) to be a good person from their short interactions and Yeager's opinion, and Yuri just wants to get the hell away from others so he can die without having to worry about them suffering or getting hurt.

I tried to not rush the whole Droite/Gauche x Yuri thing, but wanted to ensure there was a reason behind their agressive kidnapping. Though Gauche (the calm and collected minion in-game) was pretty outspoken and relatively different, while Droite is her normal goofy/upbeat self, I wanted it to seem that they were changed from Yeager's unfortunate death. They hold a grudge, but not as much due to them duking it out on multiple occasions at the coliseum (Well, I fought them alot in my save xD) and Yuri being merciful with them.

Hopefully, this chapter wasn't too bland for you readers. I tried to make it entertaining enough, but I can never tell, even if I re-read it several times over. As usual, I don't have a BETA to help me with my less-than-agreeable spelling/grammar/word choice mistakes. I'm doing my best. Oh, and the [Harem] thing. Be expecting Yuri to be confronted by many girls (Estelle/Rita/Judith/Gauche/Droite/Sodia). I plan for him to have a bit of romance with each, but mainly reciprocating with Judith, cause who doesn't love that sultry Krityan? Don't answer that fanboys/fangirls.

On another note...I got red-ringed for the **5th** time! Not only that, but it somehow corrupted my 360 hardrive and annihilated all my saves! The gamer card with 20k achievements is still there, but who the fuck cares about that number when the files you used to bring it to that are totally dead? Everything...gone. I actually didn't feel as bad as I thought I would, but when I go back to play Sonic Unleashed/Ninja Gaiden 2/Fable 2/Mass Effect and other great games it hurts, right in the feeler. I was actually using my ToV copy to journey around the world and get the specific names of places, like Halure's inn, Denebola. But now, I've got nothing and would have to invest loads more hours trying to recover the world map and ability to fly. I'll just have to finish the PS3 version when it comes out to re-edit any chapters that don't have a specific nametag.

**Review Replies** (Got Bored :P)

Twilight: Thanks for the concern, it was much appreciated man.

Agent-G: Haha! I loved your enthusiasm from the messages about continuing the story. Thanks for that. As for fighting the twins, you can, but you don't kill them. They're real nice about it if you have a certain item.

EVO: It's good to know I'll have one reader despite my inability to update quickly. ^_^

Seth: The item I was referring to was "Vesperia No.1". It was made by Rita and used to vaporize monsters and destroy the Adephagos, if memory serves me right.

Ozie: xD I can't believe you called me a talented ToV writer! It made me smile, thanks. As for the whole location and time thing, I utilize that because I suck at incorporating settings and when everything is taking place. It's my fallback method of plot placement and such. Glad you like it.

As always, please read and review! It gives me a sense of direction on where to go with my writing style and plot devices.


	3. The Final Note

* * *

**Final Note**

*******

As of today (8/22/09), I will be dropping many time consuming hobbies in order to address personal matters that take priority. One of these hobbies is writing fanfiction. Shortly after my last story update, I received a call from home, Gwangju (South Korea), about my adoptive father's passing away. I spent a week mourning with my family there, a group of people who I avoided for six years by taking off to America unannounced. My brother has inherited our family business, and proposed that I join him in running it, believing that my educational background involving macroeconomics and financing will be beneficial to keeping our father's legacy and establishment thriving. I thought about it on my way back to the States, and have concluded that I will try and help him and everyone else. For me, I don't feel deserving of such an opportunity, but I owe my father and caring relatives at least this much for what I've done (or better, lack of). To do this, I will have to sacrifice the lax lifestyle I have led for the past couple of years, dedicate myself to becoming reacquainting with my Korean culture/roots, and find a way to adjust to these alterations. I apologize to the very few readers that stayed patient with my mediocre writing style and ideas, and hope that you understand my decision. However, I will provide "cliff notes" of my incomplete stories, just so you know how I intended to direct their respective tales and endings. Many details will be missing due to the amount of time I have left before I leave. Feel free to take and incorporate any ideas you found interesting or noteworthy from my stories without fear of being accused of "stealing". I simply request the appropriate credit for them in an author's note.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Constricted Space**

-Yuri awakens to find himself in the embrace of the Yeager twins. The two girls follow suit and explain how they rescued him from dying from exhaustion and dragged him to Heliord for recovery a week ago. Yuri is then told how the monsters haven't attacked once during his rehabilitation. They then journey to Dahngrest where Yuri complies to their wishes, though he tells them he'll need to have a conversation with the new leader, the Don's son, about their circumstances. The girls reluctantly agree and allow him to have a one-on-one with the young man. Yuri, knowing that the man owes him one, asks for the two girls to be granted guild master status over Leviathin's Claw. Approval is given and Yuri deceivingly tell the girls, when they meet up again, that he is their new leader. They celebrate later that night with a huge feast where he gets them intoxicated and brings them to one of the inns to rest safely. He then escapes Dahngrest, intent on finding the remains of his boat and getting to Mt. Temza.

-Duke and Raven have a heated debate on what to do when the enigmatic man reveals that he can't find Yuri. He concludes that the remnant of Adephagos within Yuri must be trying to hide itself due to the external dangers of its host. Raven says he'll try to get the small number of people who have been searching for the swordsman to start investigating farther away from the continent due to the emergency. He plans to tell them about what's inside Yuri, but not how him and Duke are going to get rid of it.

-Brave Vesperia and select others are briefed on the disappearance of Yuri and the importance of finding him. They are assigned groups and immediately given locations to search. Before departing, Judith apologizes to Estelle, who timidly confesses that she excluded bits of information from her story, such as telling Yuri that she loved Flynn. Rita overhears the conversation and, like Judith, decides to pursue Yuri's affection more confidently.

-In each of the following chapters, the respective girl/woman finds Yuri and has a fluffy moment with him, along with a flashback at the beginning. I did not have them fleshed out yet, so I can only provide a VERY vague description of the chapter.

**Chapter 4: Lancer's Lust**

-Flashback: Judith observes Yuri's fondness for the sky as he watches the night sky, unassuming of an audience. She surprises him with her usual flirtatious comments, but is surprised by his thoughtful words when he explains how jealous he is of her ability to roam the skies. She shyly offers to be his pair of wings, but he takes it as a joke and responds distantly, saying wolves can't fly.

-Explores Judith's overwhelming want of Yuri in mind and body, as well as how the Krityans view relationships.

**Chapter 5: Caster's Pride**

-Explores Rita's admiration for Yuri and her inability to show it properly.

**Chapter 6: Priestess's Greed**

-Explores Estelle's love for the swordsman who saved her countless times and her unexpected drive to keep him to herself.

**Chapter 7: Saber's Wrath**

-Explores Sodia's regret at having harmed the burdened man and her willingness to prove she's worth his attention.

**Chapter 8: Archer's Envy**

-Explores Droite's jealousy over the people closest to Yuri and their lack of response to his roundabout, caring actions.

**Chapter 9: Rider's Sloth**

-Explores Gauche's reluctance to publicly show affection to Yuri due to her sister's more blunt behavior.

**Chapter 10: Bitter Acknowledgment**

-This, like the chapters before it, was not totally planned out yet. During each one Yuri would become even more affected by the presence of the Adephagos, corrupting his thoughts, memories, feelings, and actions. But I did want there to be a riveting fight between Duke, who has the revived power of Dein Nomos needed to extract the Adephagos remnant, and Yuri, who wants to die a warrior rather than a weakling, which ends tragically. For no one other than Raven suspected the raven-haired swordsman to willingly accept defeat, but forgot his determination to protect them. There would be an epilogue where each character reflects on Yuri's sacrifice and involvement in their lives. Judith takes it the hardest, understandingly because of their similarities and dreams, and decides to explore the entire world with Yuri's perspective of freedom.

* * *

That's it for me. Yet again, I'm sorry for dropping all of my projects and only leaving these hastily typed ideas in note format. My new life will be starting when I get on the plane, which is set to leave in six hours. To any readers who followed my works, thanks for reading and enjoying them. Wish me luck in my endeavors!


End file.
